Biomass and Fruit Production for the Prickly Pear Cactus, Opuntia ficus-indica

Abstract

<jats:p>Productivity of irrigated prickly pear cactus <jats:italic>[Opuntia ficus-indica</jats:italic> (L.) Miller] was studied over 3 years in central Chile using two planting densities. A low-density planting (0.25 plants/m<jats:sup>2</jats:sup>), traditionally favored for fruit production, had maximal fruit productivity in the 2nd year (6 Mg dry weight/ha per year). A high-density planting (24 plants/m<jats:sup>2</jats:sup>), which assured almost full interception of incident solar radiation, led to an extremely high shoot dry-weight productivity (50 Mg·ha<jats:sup>-1</jats:sup>·year<jats:sup>-1</jats:sup>) in the 2nd year and maximal fruit productivity (6 Mg·ha<jats:sup>-1</jats:sup>·year<jats:sup>-1</jats:sup>) in the 3rd year. Cladode dry weight tended to increase with cladode surface area. However, fruit production did not occur until the dry weight per cladode exceeded the minimum dry weight for a particular cladode surface area by at least 33 g. The year-to-year variation in fruit production apparently reflected variations in such excess dry weight and, hence, in the storage reserves of individual cladodes.</jats:p>

Nutritional and mineral content of prickly pear cactus: A highly water‐use efficient forage, fodder and food species

“…A high shoot‐to‐root ratio combined with high productivity produces a large amount of biomass available to be consumed by livestock. When well‐watered and fertilized, Opuntia can have a growth rate of 47 Mg/ha yr −1 , a value exceeding typical corn biomass yields (Garcia de Cortazar & Nobel, ; Nobel et al, ). Productivity without supplemental irrigation under semi‐arid and arid conditions remains at 9–15 and 3–15 Mg/ha yr −1 , respectively, ranges that are larger than other low water‐use crops (Le Houérou, ; Nobel & Israel, ).…”

Growth and CO2 uptake for cladodes and fruit of the Crassulacean acid metabolism species Opuntia ficus‐indica during fruit development

“…The present study utilizes the highly productive Crassulacean aetd metabolism (CAM) speeies of prickly pear cactus, Opuntia fieus-indiea, whieh ean have a biomass gain of up to 50 Mg dry weight ha"' year-' and ean produce 6 Mg dr> weight of fruit ha"' year"' (Gareia de Cortazar and). Daily net CO; uptake for cladodes of O. ficu.s-indica grow ing under well-watered conditions, optimal tetnperatures (day/tiight .air temperatures of 25/15°C) and saturating photosynthettc photon flux (PPF; 25 mol m^-day') can be 344 mmol m - (Nobel 1988), and its dry matter accumulation rate ean be about 7.0 g m^-day"' in the field (Aeevedo et al 1983).…”

“…This pericarp remains green until aboul 3 weeks before harvest, suggesting that net CO, uptake by a fruit may oeeur during its development. Also, fruit do not develop on a cladode until its dry weight exceeds a minimum value for its surface area by at least 33 g, the 'cladode excess drj' weight' (Gareia de Cortazar and Nobel 1992). Our objective was to investigate CO:: uptake for eladodes in relation lo sink strength (fruit load and growth) and for fruits from initiation lo maturation.…”

Seasonal Reproductive and Vegetative Growth Patterns and Resource Allocation during Cactus Pear Fruit Growth

“…The presence of developing cladodes may inhibit flower initiation (Inglese et al, 1994), whereas a high fruit load may reduce the initiation of new cladodes, eventually resulting in an alternate bearing behavior (Barbera et al, 1991). Moreover, high planting densities lead to an extremely high accumulation of dry matter in vegetative growth, but reduce allocation of resources to the fruit (Garcia de Cortazar and Nobel, 1992).…”